Demise of the Jedi (Kenobi-centric prelude edit)

A while ago, I edited the Star Wars prequels into a (very coherent) 1 hour 40 minute movie meant to feel more like the original films, and I’m still pretty happy with it. I’m pretty hard on myself when it comes to creative endeavors so I hope my own endorsement counts.

This edit consists mostly of Revenge of the Sith with some Phantom Menace flashbacks, but is made to be all you need from a prelude into the original trilogy.

My idea when I went into edit wasn't to "make the prequels better" (they have nostalgia value to me) but to make them into a single prelude that feels necessary. The main negative of episodes I and II is that they don't need to be seen if you're going to watch III. If you do that with the original trilogy, you might understand the story and follow what's happening, but still - New Hope and Empire have an impact on what happens in Return of the Jedi. I and II might tease Anakin's turn to the dark side, but they overall have little to no impact on Revenge of the Sith. I focused on Sith for that reason, and hoped to change things up to feel a bit more like the original films.

Obi-Wan is more of a main character, and I tweaked a lot to give him focus. This edit opens with Kenobi waking from a nightmare with the death of his former master, and being reminded of the war that followed.

-my first intention was to make watching the Star Wars prequels a new experience. Alterations not explained are likely for that reason, so that the story feels less repetitive.

-the title has multiple implications as the more interesting Star Wars titles usually do. The "Demise of the Jedi" is the end of the Jedi Order, the exile of Obi-Wan, and the transformation of Anakin into Vader. This contrasts with "Return of the Jedi," the literal return of Luke as a new Jedi and the spiritual return of Anakin.

-Anakin's nightmare is more than the death of his wife. It's also the birth of Vader.

-"Torn Apart" replaces the strange ambient music when Anakin is contemplating an apprenticeship to Palpatine. The score tells a story instead of putting you in a weird mood.

-by Padme not saying Leia’s name, the identity of Luke’s twin sister is saved as a hypothetical reveal for Episode VI.

-Vader and the Emperor look out from the Star Destroyer onto Mustafar. The Empire is building Vader's castle which shows up in Rogue One before they construct a space station.

-by closing with Obi-Wan hearing Qui Gon's voice again, everything comes full circle. In the beginning, he failed his master by Anakin's turn to the dark side. In the end, when he is in despair over the past, his master returns. Life is returning to the galaxy. The Skywalker Saga begins.

(the opening and closing with the new Obi-Wan Kenobi narrative for Demise of the Jedi)